Report: New iPad in Production

(Wall Street Journal) - Apple has started production of a new version of its iPad tablet computer, people familiar with the matter said Tuesday.

The new device will be thinner, lighter and will come with a faster processor, more memory and a more powerful graphics processor, the people said. It will have a front-facing camera for the first time for features like video-conferencing, but the resolution of the new iPad's display will be similar to the first iPad.

The new iPad will be available through Verizon Wireless and AT&T, but not Sprint Nextel or T-Mobile USA in the US, according to some of the people familiar with the matter.

A spokeswoman for Apple declined to comment.

The iPad, which debuted last April to great fanfare, has been a huge success for Apple. The Cupertino, Calif., company has sold 14.8 million iPad units in the three quarters since the tablet's introduction.

It has sparked scores of imitators, including the widely-anticipated Motorola Xoom due out later this year.

Read more: Wall Street Journal